Obesity Help

Obesity greatly reduces your quality of life and as a result, reduces the number of years you have to live. This means, less time to spend with your family, less time enjoying your hobbies, less time doing the things you love. According to the Bureau of Statistics, 1 in 2 Australian adults was overweight or obese!

Here are just 5 major problems associated with Obesity:

DIABETES

If you're obese, you're on your way to becoming a diabetic because cholesterol destroys insulin which is produced by your body to regulate your blood glucose levels. When your blood glucose levels go too high or too low, you're at a high risk of going into a diabetic coma. Plus there are a heap of other diabetic-related issues to be concerned about like glaucoma (irreversible loss of vision).

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Also known as 'hypertension' – it can often go unnoticed until a major organ system is affected dramatically. As your body weight increases, so too does your blood pressure and obese people are twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure as those who are fit and healthy.

HEART DISEASE

Obesity keeps adding more fat your body and makes it harder for your heart to do it's job of circulating blood throughout your body. This places extra stress and strain on your heart and when things get too much for your ticker, you can suffer from a stroke or a heart attack – which can be fatal.

LIVER DISEASE

Your liver is responsible for hundreds of functions in the body, one of which is the breakdown of fats. When you are obese, your liver can't cope with the high levels of fat and ends up storing it instead of breaking it down. This can lead to an enlarged liver and even cirrhosis which is the scarring of the liver. If left untreated, you may need a liver transplant which may never happen due to long waiting lists for organs.

CANCER

Obesity is a leading cause of a variety of different cancers such as colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon/rectum). The link between obesity and colorectal cancer is becoming stronger with more cases being diagnosed every single day. This means that with a poor diet and low levels of activity, your chances of getting cancer grow with each day that passes.

So really, if you look at it, by eating a poor diet and being inactive, you’re damaging vital organs and placing extra strain on your body as it struggles to keep going. This means you’re slowing down and signing away years off your life!

As much as obesity is a growing problem for Australia, it can be reversed. You can beat obesity and you can start living a happier, healthier life. You can do it and nothing will stop you if you're committed to your family, your friends and most importantly, yourself!

Here’s 5 easy ways to start adding years to your life:

WALK & BE MORE ACTIVE

Just get out and walk. Start off by walking for 15-20 minutes. Look around your area and come up with a short circuit you can walk. As you get more comfortable, increase your walking time to 30 minutes a day (which is recommended by the Government and medical professionals). If possible, get someone to join you – research shows working out in a group or with another person has a more positive impact on your health.

STOP EATING JUNK FOOD

Are you eating takeaways 5 days a week? Do pizza, burgers and fried food feature in your meals every single week? STOP NOW. Junk food is self explanatory and it does not give your body the right kind of nutrients in the right amounts. In most cases, it simply causes more problems for your organs, especially in the case of refined/processed foods. Junk food is a major contributor to obesity and is not doing your body any favours.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Water has no calories, is pure and it fills you up. It’s the healthiest drink around and is way better than carbonated drinks and juices. It’s better to lay off the booze too, if you’re a regular drinker. Water is great for flushing out the toxins in your system and it's known to help clear your skin too (say bye to acne and pimples!)

EAT MORE FRUITS & VEGES

The recommended intake is 2 pieces of fruit and 5 pieces of veges, daily. It’s not hard to start factoring more fruits and veges in your diet. Make a stop to your local greengrocer and pick out some bananas, tomatoes, oranges, apples, grapes, pineapples, potatoes, green beans, celery sticks, onions... oh the list could go on and on.

SLEEP BETTER

Try to go to bed earlier each night and aim for 8 hours of sleep. Research shows that by getting in enough sleep, you’re on your way to leading a healthier life. There’s even some research that suggests a link between obesity and a lack of sleep. Once you start eating better and being more active, you’ll start to sleep better too.

You can even consider investing in some home gym equipment like an exercise bike, treadmill or elliptical cross trainer which you can use while watching your favourite TV shows. The distraction of the TV takes your mind off working out and you're essentially having more fun!

Fitness Market is committed to a healthier, fitter Australia and hopes you have found these tips useful.